The agency plans to update regulations to make it easier for grant recipients to access funds.
A proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would streamline requirements for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Indian Community Development Block Grant Programs (ICDBG) in an effort to make federal assistance easier to access and promote economic development.
As Demetria Lester writes in MReport, “These updates would improve the ability of CDBG grantees to implement funding more effectively and efficiently, making it easier for states and localities to use CDBG or Section 108 Loan Guarantee funding to invest in underserved areas. Section 108 allows communities to access up to five times their annual CDBG allocation via low-interest loans for eligible activities and is a valuable tool in spurring economic development and job creation.”
The proposed changes would modernize a program not substantially updated since 1995.
FULL STORY: HUD Proposes Rule to Advance Economic Development in Underserved Communities
Blocked, Restored, Blocked Again — Housing Funds in Legal Limbo
Since Trump took office, the administration has blocked multiple affordable housing funding streams. Here's a look at which funds have been frozen, which have been reinstated, and which are in the courts.
HUD Ordered to Release Grant Funds After Anti-DEI Clawback
A federal judge ruled in favor of fair housing groups after the Trump administration tried to rescind housing grants.
Affordable Housing Renovations Halt Mid-Air Amidst DOGE Clawbacks
HUD may rescind over a billion dollars earmarked for green building upgrades.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont